The Portland daily press., 1887-05-18
FOREIGN.
The Debate on the Coercion Bill
Resumed.
The First Clause Of the Bill Adopted
by Vote of ~ to 70.
Antl-coercIon Mass Meetings to be
Held In Scotland.

ercion bill was resumed this evening. Sir
William Vernon Hareourt moved an amend
ment exempting from secret inquiry all pro-
ceedings. relating to public meetings for
agrarian movements, including combinations
to obtain reductions Of rent. He said If the
government were content to direct inquiries
authorized under the bill to such offences as
murder, arson, ''moonlighting" and mutila-
tion Of cattle, the bill might pass. The bill
would then deal with actual crimes, and
would not be a measure for creating offences.
In its present form the bill might apply to
matters never before recognized as elements
of incrimination. The House ought not to
allow the measure to pass for the purpose Of
repressing crime which really had another
object. What was the governments inte--
tlon? Did they propose to suppress the
combinations against the landlords? Was
breach of contract to be made a criminal
offence? Would the government give to the
present tenants the same assurance OF pro-
lection as was given to the laborers in Eng
that the tenants right of combining with re-
gard to land, the cultivation Of which was
their industry, would be placed upon the
same footing with the rights Of English
there was a land trades union in Ireland,
would the bill suppress Ii? (Cheers.) If so,
on what ground did the government dis
tinguish between the Irish trades union and
the English trades union?
Mr.. Balfour, Chief Secretary, held that
the offences embraced in the measure had
been sufficiently defined, and that the amend
ment, II adopted, would simply render the
bill futile, leaving out nearly all the agrarlan
offences. He said comparison Of trades
unions with Irish conspiracy to pay no rent
was obviously absurd. The law of con-
spiracy regarding wages had distinct his
tory from what was now occurring in Ire
land. The bill dealt with the conspiracy to
deffaud the landlords, with a conspiracy TO
prevent free exercise Of private and public
rights in matters Of trade, and other forms
OF boycotting. As to the suggestion that the
bill would be allowed to progress If the gov
ernment conceded the amendment, he would
distinctly intimate that the government
would not yield to obstruction anything they
refused to argument. (Cheers.)
Mr.. Dillon cOntended that unless the
amendment was accepted the government
would be able to imprison everybody who
might be politically obnoxious. Landlords
who had not received. rents might swear out
info rmatlon OF conspiracy. causing all sorts
OF persons brought up for bogus inquiry. III
they refused to answer questions, such per-
sons might be imprisoned as long as the gov
ernment chose. (Cries Of s'Hear!" "HearH
Mr.. Gladstone regretted the government
failed to recognize the justice Of granting
Irish tenants the same protection afforded
English workmen. As to boycotting, the
government must explain what was meant
by that term. Was intimidation included, or
only boycotting leading to exclusive dealings
c'Hear!" "Hear!) When Balfour said that
the government refused to yield to obstruc-
tons, the 0ppositlon's response was right to
refuse to yield to tyranny. (Cheers)
The bill solely aimed at dealing with Grim
lnal conspiracy 1t was impossible TO give
an exact definition of the bOycotting which
Gladstone demanded. 1t would surpass the
wit OF man to define what definitions Of
boycotting might be; but the knew Of the Of
fence and there was no danger that injustice
would be done in suppressing it, The vice
was at the root of all boycotting combina-
tions. Once the inquiry begun into any one
form of boycotting, there was no logical
halting, this inquiry must be pursued until
al forms OF evil have been investigated.
Sir r. e. Webster, attorney general, asked
whether 1t could be seriously contended,
and was there any real analogy between the
case OF the British workman and the Irish
tenant. There was wide distinction be-
tween an honest combination of tenants try
ing to get Lansdowne to reduce rents, and
the combination among those who could pay,
but were bringing outside associations to as
slst them IN eyading the payment OF what
was due. Cries of heal, hear.)
Thomas OConnOr said the combinations
of landlords to keep rock rent at starvation
point w0nld be permitted, while the cOmbi-
nation tenants to defect the extortion would
be made a criminal offence. (Cries of hear,
hear) lie asked II there was the slightest
chance that the measure would ever be used
against the combination of landlords.
The amendment was negatiyed by vote Of
242 to 1S0.
The first clause Of the bill was adopted III
to 70.
Notice was given of 80 amendments to the
second clause
Arrangements have been made to hold
antl-coereion mass meetings in Scotland
during the Whitsuntide races, to be ad-
dressed by Sir Charles Russell, Dillon and
Sexton.
Parnell will appear in the House of Com
mons tomorrow afternoon. He has been ad-
yised not to attend the evening sittings.
The Pail Mall Gazette announces that
June 2lst will be observed as holiday
throughout the United Kingdom. On that
day Queen Victoria will have completed the
fftieth year Of her reign.
ST. PETERSBURG, May 1.-THE five men
who took the most prominent part in the
plot to assassinate the Car on March IS
were executed yesterday
The Gar and Czarina have arrived at
Riazan on their way TO the Don Cossacks
country. They were welcomed by the mar
shals and members of the nobility.
PARIS. May 1.-THE French Cabinet has
resigned owing to the defeat on the budget
estimates. Their designations have been
accepted. 1t is expected that NJ. DeFrey-
cinet will be summoned to form a cabinet
tomorrow.
The sums realized from the sale of the
crown jewels aggregated.tod 56O, 900 francs.
Foreign Notes.
Roumania is f0rtifying rapidly under the
superintendence of the German officers.
The strike at Brussels is rapidly extend
ing. The miners Of the Liege coal basin win
go out on Thursday. There are symptoms
OF disorder at Chatelet. Socialist Anseele
has gone to the scene to urge the miners to
preserve peace.
The Prince and Princess Of Wales, Prince
Henry of Battenberg and Princess Beatrice
yesterday attended the American exhibition.